Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 13 May 1892

Alarming Accident – Inquests

Inquest On Johnson.

On Wednesday morning the Coroner (Mr. D. Wightman), held an inquest at the New Station Inn, Wombwell, on the body of Albert Johnson, who was killed by the great fall at Manvers Main Colliery on Monday morning.

Mr. F. N. Wardle, Government Inspector of Mines, Mr. Thomson (manager at Manvers Main), and Mr. Ward (under manager) were present. Mr. Tom Pashley was foreman of the jury.

Sarah Johnson, who appeared to be deeply affected, said the deceased was her husband. He had been a dataller at Manvers Main No. 1 pit for over twelve months. All his life he had worked about collieries. He was 41 years old. On Monday he was brought home dead.

Robert Charlton, of Swinton, who had himself a narrow escape from death and trembled a little as he took the witness’s oath, said he was a dataller at Manvers Main. The accident by which Johnson and Wood were killed occurred on Monday morning at about a quarter to six. Besides Johnson and Wood men named Barber and Squires were engaged clearing away stuff from a fall since late on Friday night. Witness had been emptying tubs all the night, and had only been on the spot where the accident happened a minute and a half when the roof fell in, and buried them all.

The deputy and some more men got witness out. Johnson and Wood were dead when they were reached. It took over an hour to get to them, and witness was got out first. Witness was only bruised about the hips and legs, and was not cut at all. The fall consisted chiefly of a large stone. The deputy examined the roof about 10-40 on Friday night.

By Mr. Wardell: Witness went to work at 10 o’clock on Sunday night and was stowing the stuff away that was brought from this spot until a minute or so before the accident happened. He had gone there to finish his shift. The deputy went through between three and four o’clock in the morning. One of the bars fell across witness, and that saved him from the stone, and prevented him from being killed. He was close to where James Wood was killed. The previous fall was on Friday night.

John Humphreys, the night deputy, said the last examination he made of the place before the fall was at 4-30. He got on a stone, and knocked at the top and sides, and it then appeared perfectly sound and right. Witness had been to the place since, and believed it was an unforeseen slip. It knocked down five bars of wood. The place was well and properly timbered. He believed about 25 tons of stuff fell. It was a bigger fall than that which occurred on Friday night

ln answer to Mr. Wardell, witness said the men were set to work to clear up the remains of a fall which happened on Friday night. This fall joined up to the first fall, which broke down four bars, and was not from a slip. The size of these bars was about nine inches square. The width of the place was 11 or 12 feet. One end of the bars was let into the coal, and the other end had a two-feet sprag under it. It was a stone roof, and lie did not think it would have made any difference to this accident if the first place had been re-barred.

Barber, who was in the hospital at Mexborough, examined the place with him, and said he thought it was safe. The big stone which fell on Monday had four feet to fall before it got to the bars, and it broke them down entirely. He noticed no bumps or thuds while he was there, and had no special instructions to give when he left at 4.30.

By the Under- Manager: He remembered a heavy weight when they opened a new bank, and he thought it was possible it had been shifted to level. He knocked at the roof where the men were working, but not at the place where it fell, because the timber was under that, and it looked safe enough.

The Coroner stated that the man Squires was present if the Jury wished to hear him.

The Jury did not think he was necessary to the verdict.

Mr Wardell said he was satisfied it was an accident.

The Jury returned a verdict of “Accidental death.

The interment of Johnson took place yesterday at Wombwell Cemetery.

For many yearn Johnson officiated as agent for the sale of this paper, and was a very energetic salesman. He was well known in this district.

Johnson was insured with the Refuge Assurance Company, who paid his claim in full before the inquest, through Mr. W. I. Smith, their local agent.

Inquest On Wood.

On Wednesday afternoon, at the Masons’ Arms, Mexborough, an inquest was held on the body of the young man James Wood, who was killed at the same time as Johnson.

The jury was constituted follows:— Messrs. D. Wales (foreman), T. Lewis, W. Schofield, H. Utley, E. Bullock. F. Sharpe, H.Raynor, A. Raynor, J. Allen, M. West, T. Callaghan, and W. Brown.

Mr. Wardell, H. M. Inspector, was present, and Mr. Ward, the under manager of the colliery.

The jury having returned from the hours where the deceased lay.

The Cormier remarked that the matter had been very fully investigated at Wombwell, in connection with the death of Albert Johnsen, who was killed by the same fall of roof, but he was compelled to bold two inquest. The only other alternative would have been to take the Mexborough jury to Wombweil or vice versa; but perhaps the way that was being adopted was the least trouble and inconvenience .

John Wood, of Sheffield, the father of the de ceased, was the first witness. He said his son was 16 yawn of age. He had been working at Manvers Main for upwards of twelve months. Witness did not know how the accident had happened.

Robert Charlton deposed that he was a dataller at the same pit as the deceased. On Monday last, about 6.45 in the he was with the deceased, James Wood. Wm. Barber, and John Squires. They were in the seventh south district, emptying a part where a fall of roof had taken place the previous Friday night. Witness had only just got them when the fall took place. They were all buried. They were got out by a deputy and others, but Johnson and Wood were dead.

By the coroner: It was a very large fall, and there was no warning. The deputy had examined the place at 4:40.

By the Inspector : I went to work at 10 p.m. the night before. The deputy was at the place again between three and four o’clock that morning. I was saved at the time of the accident by one of the bars falling across me; otherwise I should have been killed. I was close to where the dead man was.

John Humphries deposed that he was the night deputy. He examined the place at 4.30 on the morning of the accident. It was perfectly safe and right. He had since been to the place and found out the fall occurred from a “slip.” The bars used were about 9 in² and 12 feet long. He thought the place was perfectly safe, and it was well timbered. It was a “rock” roof. William Barber was the head man. He was in the Mexborough hospital. He saw witness examined the roof, and said it was safe. All was quiet, and there was no “calling.” The first fall had nothing to do with the second. The “slip” was a smooth parting at the top of the fall.

The Coroner remarked that the man Squires corroborated Charlton at Wombwell, but he did not really know quite so much as Charlton. The inspector did not think it necessary to call in, neither did he open brackets the coroner). The woman jury did not consider it necessary he should be sworn, and it was a question whether the Mexborough jury wanted. The evidence would be exactly the same.

The jury unanimously said they did not need the man to be called, and the Coroner briefly some look. He said he had been forced to old that inquest at Mexborough, although the circumstances were precisely the same as what was gone into at Wombwell. It might seem to the jury a very absurd action to bring them there was enquiries just the same as what there had been a few miles away, but it had to be done. He thought the jury could make no more than an accident of it.

A verdict was returned at the deceased was “Accidentally killed by a fall of roof,” and the proceedings and lasted only a few minutes.

The funeral of the deceased took place yesterday at Mexborough Cemetery.